One of the earliest recorded images of something which resembles a crop circle is depicted in an old 17th century woodcut which is curiously called the “Mowing Devil”. This image shows a Devil holding a scythe and using it to mow a circular design in a field of oats. The pamphlet which contains the image says that the farmer, annoyed by the wage that his was asking for told the mower that he would rather have the devil perform the task instead.

Early examples of crop circles were just simple circular patterns which vary in size. But in recent years, the patterns became more complex. It is said that the earlier formations, circa 1970-2000, were based, or at least seem to be, on principles of sacred geometry. The formations that occurred after the year 2000 appear to have been based on different principles which include natural sciences as well as mathematical designs. The crop circles that have appeared more recently have very intricate detail, a regular symmetry and very careful composition.

In 1991, two men coming from Southampton England publicly admitted that they had conceived the idea of making a prank crop circle by using planks, ropes, hats as well as wire as their tools. They were said to have been inspired by the 1966 Tully Saucer Nests. These men were able to create a 40-foot circle in a span of 15 minutes.

Despite the hoaxes and man-made crop circles, there are still those that can’t be explained. Such as the ones that seem to have appeared over night and the possibility of it being man-made has been ruled out. There were also findings that in some crop circles, the stalks of wheat have been exposed to radiation making the idea of it being man made, highly unlikely.